SunEdison and Petrobras sign an agreement to build one of the largest solar PV plants in Brazil

SunEdison and Petrobras sign an agreement to build one of the largest solar PV
plants in Brazil
The construction of this plant, which is expected to begin operations at the
end of 2013, forms part of a project lead by Petrobras within the framework of
the Research and Development Program developed by the Brazilian Electricity
Regulatory Agency.
PR Newswire
SAO PAULO, April 18, 2013
SAO PAULO, April 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --SunEdison, a leading global solar
energy services provider and subsidiary of MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc.
(NYSE: WFR) has signed an agreement with Petrobras to build one of the largest
solar photovoltaic power plants in Brazil. The plant will be located in Alto
do Rodrigues, Rio Grande do Norte. Once completed, the SunEdison Renewable
Operations Center will manage the ongoing operations of the plant. The energy
generated will be destined to the National Interconnected System (SIN).
The plant will have an installed capacity of 1,1 MW DC (megawatt) and will be
built on land adjacent to the Thermoeletric Plant Jesus Soares Pereira that
belongs to Termoacu S.A, which major stakeholder is Petrobras. The plant is
expected to generate 1,65 GWh per year, avoiding the emission of 380 tons of
carbon (foundation: generation by natural gas).
The construction of the plant is part of an initiative lead by Petrobras
within the structure of the Research and Development Program of the Brazilian
Electricity Regulatory Agency (ANEEL).
This project also includes the construction of a 10 kW experimental platform,
(a model plant) at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN)
Department of Electrical Engineering's Laboratory of Power Electronics and
Renewable Energy, and counts with partnership of the Center for Gas Technology
and Renewable Energy (CTGas-ER) located in Natal (RN).
The expansion of the network of laboratories will aid testing and
certification of equipment, increase availability of public data on solar
photovoltaic energy generation, as well as improve the quality of training of
technical and higher-level professionals dedicated to this field.
Commenting on the agreement, Pancho Perez, SunEdison General Manager for EMEA,
Latin America and North Asia, said: "We are pleased to collaborate with
Petrobras, the leading energy company in Brazil, in this ambitious R&D project
from ANEEL that aims to facilitate solar energy development and PV industry
growth in Brazil. This agreement is a demonstration of our commitment to the
Brazilian market. We look forward to working with Petrobras and helping to
diversify the energy mix in Brazil."
Approximately, 50 people will work on the construction of the plant, which is
expected to begin operations at the end of this year. The plant will be built
with technology from SunEdison 3.672 Silvantis™ photovoltaic (PV) solar
modules and will be installed, using A90 solar trackers designed by SunEdison.
SunEdison ranked as one of the leading solar power providers in 2012. As of
December 2012, the company has interconnected 989 MW of solar energy around
the world, and has the unique combination of upstream product innovation,
project development and ongoing asset management and services. SunEdison has
been operating in Latin America since 2010 with offices in Chile, Brazil and
Mexico.
About SunEdison
SunEdison is a global leader in delivering solar power. The company
manufactures solar wafers and modules and develops, finances, installs and
operates solar power plants using proven photovoltaic technologies, delivering
fully managed, predictably priced solar energy services for its commercial,
government and utility customers. As of December 31, 2012, SunEdison had
interconnected over 989 Megawatts of solar electricity throughout the world.
For more information about SunEdison please visit www.sunedison.com.
About MEMC
MEMC is a global leader in semiconductor and solar technology. MEMC has been
a pioneer in the design and development of silicon wafer technologies for over
50 years. With R&D and manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Europe, and
Asia, MEMC enables the next generation of high performance semiconductor
devices and solar cells. Through its SunEdison subsidiary, MEMC is also a
developer of solar power projects and a worldwide leader in solar energy
services. MEMC's common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under
the symbol "WFR." For more information about MEMC, please visit www.memc.com.
About Petrobras
Petrobras is an integrated energy company present in Brazil and in other 24
countries, with more than a million stockholders. Founded in October 1953, the
Company completes 60 years in 2013 with consolidated participation in the
segments of oil, natural gas, biofuels and electric power
generation.
As the major worldwide operator in deep waters, its discoveries of oil and gas
in the pre-salt layer opened a new exploratory frontier within the sector with
potential to place Brazil amongst countries with the largest reservations of
oil and natural gas. For more information about Petrobras, please go to
www.petrobras.com.br
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain matters discussed in this press release are forward-looking
statements, including that the plant is expected to begin operations in 2013
and that the plant is expected to generate 1,65 GWh per year. Such statements
involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to
differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Potential
risks and uncertainties include normal commissioning risks attendant to large
scale solar projects, delays or interruptions in construction, deployment or
activation; the timely availability of required permits and authorizations for
projects from governmental entities and third parties; changes in applicable
regulatory requirements and incentives for production of solar power; and
general business and economic conditions, including seasonality of the
industry, and other risks described in MEMC's filings with the United States
Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements represent
MEMC's judgment as of the date of this press release. MEMC disclaims, however,
any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
SOURCE SunEdison
Website: http://www.sunedison.com
Contact: SunEdison: Dawn Brister (USA), +1-407-414-0526, dbrister@memc.com or
Virginia Amador (Spain), +34 - 915 242 670, vamador@sunedison.com